According to reports, Leon Draisaitl is set to sign an eight-year, (approximately $13.5 million per year) contract with the Edmonton Oilers, marking it the second-biggest contract in NHL history. It will fall short only to a deal that follows next summer for Connor McDavid. Both deals say something about the team’s ability to retain star players, even as the organization is criticized for their new GM hire. Despite negative feedback to bringing Stan Bowman aboard, if Draisaitl imminently signs and McDavid follows, it proves what Oilers’ CEO Jeff Jackson said; the stars don’t want a say or necessarily care about who is running the ship as a manager.
The imminent deal not only underscores Draisaitl’s loyalty to Edmonton but also highlights the little impact the hiring of Bowman has on where these stars see their next several seasons taking place. While the deal is not yet signed, despite Bowman’s controversial past, if reports of Draisaitl’s deal are true, his hiring has not deterred star players from committing to the team. Draisaitl’s priority is winning, the roster, the term, and the money. Who signs the cheques and whose signature is on the contract matters a whole lot less.
Draisaitl’s Deal Is About The Numbers and The Team
Speculation around the contract has been rife, with insiders like Frank Seravalli and Bob Stauffer suggesting that the deal would likely be an eight-year commitment. Seravalli isn’t ruling out Draisaitl taking a bit of a discount to stick around. Draisaitl’s agent, Mike Liut, confirmed that the term was a critical aspect of the negotiations. This doesn’t happen if Draisaitl is at all concerned about the fact Bowman was linked to a very unfortunate situation in Chicago.
For a player of Draisaitl’s caliber, securing a long-term deal was paramount, and the Oilers have demonstrated their willingness to invest in their future by meeting his ask. He wants to stay where he’s got a chance to win, where his best friend and greatest player in the world is, and where the city fits and the organization can afford him. Some negative press isn’t slowing things down.
As mentioned earlier, the implications of this contract extend beyond Draisaitl. It sets the stage for McDavid’s upcoming negotiations, signaling to the star player that the team is committed to building around its core talent. From there, a new deal for Evan Bouchard will be in the cards and he’s much more likely to sign if Draisaitl and McDavid do first. Retaining Draisaitl is a crucial step in all of this. And, if he is the first player to sign a long-term deal with Bowman running the show, it sends a clear message to the rest of the Oilers: the man at the top doesn’t change his desire to forge ahead in Edmonton.
This isn’t about Bowman. And, if it is, it’s because Draisaitl believes in Bowman’s and Jackson’s capability to lead the team through these critical financial decisions. The commitment from their star player reinforces the belief in the team’s potential, and a questionable hire doesn’t change that.
